


RYE.EXE

by smittenbritain



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, M/M, Scientist Gavin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-02-25 17:44:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13217718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smittenbritain/pseuds/smittenbritain
Summary: Gavin had finally done it - he'd created the perfect guy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SilentReprobate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentReprobate/gifts).



> This all came about because [silentreprobate](http://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentReprobate) showed me a song called [GUY.EXE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2Kh_XMIDPU). I think I might be a little bit in love with this universe now.

The lab was cool and dark. The only sound was the low hum of machinery, and then the soft buzz of fluorescent lights as they kicked into life. Across the room, a computer sat waiting, its screen dim from where it had fallen into sleep mode overnight.

Gavin stretched as he crossed the lab, groaning as his joints clicked. It hadn’t been an easy night’s rest. Strings of code and possible solutions had circled through his brain as he tried to settled down, even if it was just for a few hours. Now, he set his fresh mug of coffee down beside his keyboard, and he turned to face his work as he shrugged on his lab coat.

In the centre of the lab was a tall, glass cylinder. Inside, there was a dark, human shape, its head bowed. Just looking at it made Gavin’s heart flutter with excitement.

So far, providing his near perfect AI with its own body hadn’t gone to plan. Gavin had lost track of how many times now it had simply collapsed; there was too much for previous versions to keep track of, too many functions before it simply became overwhelmed and crashed. That wouldn’t do. The whole point of this experiment was to create something flawless - or, well, flawless enough that it could be a believably flawed human.

This new body might just do the trick. Gavin had spent time tweaking things so, hopefully, the AI would have enough power to process everything it needed to. Then, hopefully, it'd be able to walk and talk and think and feel...

Well, that was the theory, at least. God, he hoped it worked. He was so damn tired, and it’d be so nice to just take a nap against that lovely, firm chest he'd designed.

Gavin shook his head and turned back to his computer. Later. There’d be time later, once this was a success. He took a long drink of his coffee, flexed his fingers, and then hunched over the keyboard, ready to attack the problem he’d left last night. All it needed was a little bit of editing, and then it’d be ready for a test run.

He’d prove Geoff wrong, damn it, and he’d get the perfect guy out of it, too.

With a flourish, Gavin planted his hands on the desk, standing as he scanned the code sprawling across the screen. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he’d come downstairs this morning; all he knew was that he was out of coffee, and he was sure his hair was all over the place from how many times he’d run his fingers through it.

He was sure that this was it, though. It had to be this time. It _had_ to be. He was so close last time.

Gavin pressed enter - ‘ _downloading rye.exe_ ’ popped up on the screen with a progress bar underneath.

As the percentage started to slowly tick up, Gavin fumbled his phone out of his pocket and set some music to play. He nearly dropped it thanks to the clumsiness brought on by only a few hours of sleep, but he was glad he’d thought to install speakers in the lab; no doubt he’d have been driven mad long ago without some tunes to break the monotony.

Humming along and moving with a bounce in his step, Gavin set to cleaning up. It wouldn’t make a very good first impression if his lab was in a state.

He’d just finished hanging up the last of his tools when the computer beeped at him. Gavin nearly dropped a screwdriver on his foot in his excitement to get back over there; he left it on the workbench before he rushed back across the room, bumping his chair aside with his hip. It rolled a few feet before stopping, still spinning a little.

Gavin’s heart pounded in his throat as he moved the mouse over to the dialogue box. This was the moment of truth. If it didn’t work today, it’d be back to the drawing board again - after a good sleep, anyway. Then it could be weeks until he got another try.

He clicked _‘launch’_ , and then turned to the switches along the wall next to him. Hopefully, once it was going, his creation would be able to live off of food, burning through it like it was fuel - that, and he might’ve installed a few subtle solar panels here and there to top up the energy levels if they were getting a little low. As long as it started and moved, there’d be time to fine tune things later if necessary.

Gavin took a deep breath and held it as he flipped the power switch.

Aside from the click of it slotting into place and a hum from within the cylinder, there was seemingly no reaction. Gavin watched, biting his lip and watching, desperately, for any sign of life. His record so far was a finger twitch.

His heart skipped a beat when he got just that. His gaze dropped immediately to the hands - they curled into fists and then relaxed again, the fingers flexing.

Next, Gavin’s eyes were drawn to the chest. It expanded, filling with air, and the lips he’d carefully built parted as his creation exhaled. Gavin could scarcely believe what he was witnessing. This time, all of the little functions he’d built in to make everything seem real - breathing, digestion, blinking, a heartbeat - weren’t overwhelming the AI.

And then the eyes opened.

They were a bright, clear shade of blue. When he’d placed them into the model, there hadn’t been that level of intelligence, that level of _awareness_ behind them.

Those eyes blinked as they looked around, taking in their surroundings. They darted from corner to corner of the dim lab; Gavin was sure his eyesight was probably better than his own. He’d have to test that once he was sure everything else was running smoothly. He quickly cast those thoughts aside when those eyes landed on him.

They stole his breath away. Gavin drifted forwards, away from the dials and switches and computer, so he could press his palm up against the glass. Recognition sparked in the android's features, and he smiled.

“Ryan,” Gavin breathed, as familiar as if he was greeting an old friend.

Peeling himself back, Gavin tapped at a keypad that stood on a podium next to the tube. With a hiss, the section in front of Gavin slid to the right, the previously seamless door curving to fit the container as it was removed. Now that it was open, Gavin could hear the soft whoosh of air as Ryan breathed, slow and rhythmic.

Gavin gazed upon him with wonder as he leaned in, reaching towards one of the hands he had so carefully designed. One of his own cradled it, delighting in how the fingers curled around his own, while his other slid up towards the wrist, under the sleeve of his shirt. Carefully, Gavin disconnected the wires that sunk into a hidden panel, where veins would be if Ryan had any. He clicked it shut, and the only indication of its existence was a slight square indent in the fake flesh.

Now that there wasn’t anything holding him back, Ryan carefully gripped the edge of the doorway. Gavin was delighted to realise that he kept hold of his hand for support as he climbed out.

He’d wondered if Ryan’s first steps would be hesitant, perhaps even wobbly like a baby deer, but it was far from it. They were sure, strong - he set himself down on the floor, and then looked around again, curious to see his surroundings now that they weren’t distorted by the curved glass.

Ryan really was quite striking, Gavin thought. He was handsome, tall, and he was sure that he’d built him well enough to be strong, too. The thought made a little bit of heat settle deep in his chest. One thing was for sure, he was glad he’d put Ryan in a nice buttoned shirt and dark pants. It looked very, very appealing on him.

He was shaken out of his reverie by Ryan speaking.

“Where are we?”

He’d shifted his gaze back to Gavin again. It took Gavin a couple of seconds to think through his appreciation of the gorgeous man in front of him.

“My lab. We’re in my lab.” Gavin rocked on his feet, unsure where to go from here. What did one do to charm their newly created android-and-potential-boyfriend? “Do you want to look around? We can get you settled in, and I’ll just check you over, make sure everything’s going alright.”

Ryan paused for a moment, taking it in - or, apparently, doing part of Gavin’s job for him. “Everything seems to be running correctly at the moment,” he said, nodding more to himself than to Gavin. “I’ll be sure to let you know if I sense any changes.”

Oh, Gavin was very, very proud of himself.

He beamed up at Ryan as he shrugged off his lab coat. He tossed it carelessly in the direction of his abandoned chair. 

“Let’s go look around, then.”

* * *

It was a few days before Gavin invited Geoff over to observe his work. He had a good bet with plenty of money riding on this, and he didn’t want Ryan to fall apart after a bare twenty-four hours of success.

Ryan was patient through every examination, even though an amused smile sat on his face every time he reminded Gavin that he’d given Ryan the ability to monitor himself. Gavin shrugged it off easily, and maybe he was claiming the need to double check everything just so he could appreciate his work. It was kind of difficult to believe that he’d had such sudden success after months of failures.

It helped that Ryan’s hands lingered on him as much as Gavin’s did on him. It gave him a thrill every time he felt Ryan’s touch on his hand, his shoulder, his lower back.

Gavin was very, very glad that he’d designed him to his own preferences. He didn't do anything with that yet, but... well, the temptation was certainly there. It was something to think about.

Thankfully, Geoff didn’t pick up on it when he came to visit. He looked smug, doubtful, until he crossed the threshold and saw a very human looking Ryan stood waiting to greet him beside Gavin. Ryan smiled, shook his hand, and stepped back to give their guest room to come in.

“Well, shit,” Geoff sighed as Ryan led the way through to the living room - he was already familiar with Gavin’s home after only a few days, and he’d already found a taste for TV. “Looks like I owe you. You did it.”

Gavin couldn’t help his grin as he accepted the money Geoff passed his way. That would pay for some of the materials it took to get this far. “Yep. Took some time, but I told you I’d do it, didn’t I?”

“Yeah.” Geoff rubbed the back of his neck, huffing again. “So, what’re you gonna do with him now?”

Gavin’s gaze lingered on Ryan’s profile. The tilt of his head let him know that he was listening; Gavin had, of course, made his hearing just a little more sensitive than that of a human’s, but naturally, Ryan would be curious too about his purpose here. All he’d done so far was pick up a couple of hobbies and skills, and sit through Gavin’s examinations. It was hardly a lot when they both knew that he was capable of so much more.

He grinned, glancing across at Geoff again. “I’m sure I’ll find a use for him.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I fully admit that this chapter may not be up to my usual standards. I've been going through some difficult personal stuff over the past few weeks and have had no motivation to even try to write until a couple days ago, so this chapter was very much just picked up where it was left off. 
> 
> It's also shorter than usual, but I wanted to get something posted in the hope that it'd get me going again. Hopefully, it's still a decent chapter. <3

The lab hummed quietly, machines softly buzzing away in the background of Gavin’s thoughts. He wasn’t particularly paying attention; a clipboard was resting on his knee, one leg crossed over the other, his gaze fixed on something in the distance. The pencil in his fingers gradually began to droop.

When a hand landed on his shoulder, Gavin jumped.

He looked up, and breathed out a low sigh of relief at the sight of Ryan before him, a mug in his hand. “You scared me,” he said, straightening up in his chair.

“Sorry. You looked like you could use a little boost.” He offered the steaming cup to Gavin, managing to look a little sheepish as he did.

Gavin set aside the clipboard and pencil for now, and instead took the offered drink. It was wonderfully hot, and he hummed as he took a sip. He was delighted to realise that Ryan had made him tea - and the amount of milk was perfect. The warmth of it spread through him as he cradled it, and Gavin let out a long, slow exhale as he relaxed again.

“Thank you,” he said, opening his eyes - he hadn’t even realised he’d shut them as he’d settled. “I needed that.”

“Thought you might. You’ve been sat there all morning.” Ryan gave him a knowing look, and Gavin glanced away a little guiltily. Still, he couldn’t help the little thrill in his chest when Ryan pulled up the chair from his desk to sit down with him; the sweet gestures never went unnoticed by Gavin. “What’s on your mind?”

“Work stuff.” Gavin’s stare shifted back to the clipboard, and his lips thinned a little. He didn’t really want to delve into the topic, even though Ryan was just as smart as Gavin, if not smarter, and it kind of concerned him, too. He drummed his fingers on the side of his mug rhythmically as he decided how to tackle the subject.

“Right now, I just design random stuff,” he explained, nodding towards a set of shelves across the room. It was adorned with gadgets, all with one goal in mind: making life easier in small ways. Gavin was all about convenience, so why not make a little money off of his ideas? “And then I managed to make you. I don’t think anyone’s accomplished something like that before.”

Ryan tilted his head, sharp blue eyes fixed on Gavin’s face. “Something with my level of sentience?”

“Exactly.” Gavin offered him a smile, warm and a little proud. “You understand stuff like I do, and you’ve got a body that, so far, has run perfectly fine on its own.” His smile faded then, and he bit his bottom lip. “And it’s a big accomplishment, but… I can’t justify spreading that knowledge.”

It was frighteningly close to real life. Geoff had known that Ryan wasn’t human when he came to visit that one time, but Gavin had a feeling that anyone else might just… not realise.

As proud as he was, Gavin was a little terrified about having managed to do such a thing. Some would still consider Ryan a simple android, but in the weeks since he’d brought Ryan to life, Gavin had come to think of him as so much more than that. He could only assume that others would do the same - and that they’d just skip the part where they knew he wasn’t human.

He was coming to realise that he’d backed himself into a bit of a corner here, but in typical Gavin fashion he was going to ignore it and continue doing his thing.

He didn’t realise he’d gone so quiet until Ryan’s hand landed on his bouncing knee. Gavin stilled it more out of surprise than any force from Ryan - he also didn’t acknowledge the creeping warmth of a blush on the back of his neck. Ryan’s eyes were so damn _blue_.

“Relax,” Ryan murmured. “There’s no rush to make any kind of decision on that.”

Gavin made a quiet, frustrated noise, and he looked away again. “I know, but I…” He trailed off, uncertain.

It was an incredible breakthrough, but he wasn’t sure if it had been the right kind. And, on top of that, Gavin knew he’d done it for selfish reasons, even though he’d never directly steer Ryan in the direction of being the perfect date. At the end of the day, Ryan had the potential to develop feelings by himself, and Gavin wasn’t going to influence that either way.

Ryan gave a little shake of his head, looking faintly amused. “But what?”

Gavin gave up with a heavy huff of breath. He sunk lower in his chair as he exhaled. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

He knew he hadn’t done a good job of deflecting the question, but he didn’t have the energy to try harder. Gavin just drained his tea in a few painful gulps and put the now empty mug aside. He could feel Ryan watching him, no doubt looking concerned and sweet and far too lovely for his own good.

Time to make himself busy, then. Gavin scooped up his clipboard again and hunched over it, turning back to some abandoned designs.

Before he could start scribbling, though, Ryan’s hand shifted to rest on his shoulder. Despite himself, Gavin raised his head and met his eyes again, praying that he didn’t seem too desperate about it.

Ryan gently plucked the pencil out from between Gavin’s fingers. “Let me help,” he said. “You’ve taught me plenty so far, so teach me some more.”

Gavin watched him, almost tempted to snatch the pencil back and carry on by himself. He still felt that tight, claustrophobic sensation of not being sure what to do here - but then Ryan’s solid, warm presence was right there, patiently waiting to encourage him.

He breathed out a shaky sigh. Then, gathering himself, he rolled his chair over to his desk. “Alright. Bring it over here, I’ll show you what I was working on.”

* * *

 

That evening found Gavin in a similar position - sitting down, hot drink in his hands - only this time, he was curled up on the couch and staring at the TV as he contemplated the little bit of progress they had made today.

Ryan had helped him flesh out a few designs for some smaller gadgets, things Gavin had admittedly put to one side as he worked on his own project. As with everything, Ryan had picked up on it quickly, eager as always to learn whatever he could. It was admittedly endearing to watch Ryan when he was in that moment, whether it was in the lab or just him reading a book.

Gavin knew he’d set himself up for a painful fall here. He’d created Ryan in his vision of a perfect partner, and yet Ryan was his own person. The little things were still enchanting, though.

Still, as brilliant as Ryan was - and he was really turning out to be a quick learner in the lab - Gavin would need more people around if he wanted to do more with his inventing. He needed people who could put these things together while he kept designing, kept pushing what he had already crafted.

And, admittedly, bringing in new people who didn’t know Ryan would ultimately put his skills to the test here.

Gavin sat up, swapping his mug for the closed laptop on the coffee table. He didn’t know yet whether he was going to look for people or try to write an ad - he didn’t know where to start at all, if he was honest - but he was sure that he’d figure it out as he went along. There had to be people out there who would be just as interested in random tinkering as he was, right?


	3. Chapter 3

It was weeks down the line before anything happened - and for Gavin, it came as a complete surprise.

In that time, he hired two people to help out in the lab: Lindsay and Meg. They were both brilliantly smart and creative, and they got along well with Ryan, too. Having more sets of hands in the lab lessened the weight on Gavin’s shoulders and allowed him to breathe at last; not only were they great company, but they were an amazing boost to the workload. Gavin still wasn’t entirely sure what direction he was going in with his inventions, but he could, at least, start to produce things at a quicker rate.

And then there was Ryan. In the weeks since they’d gained two more around the place, he’d taken to their company gladly, and he remained as inquisitive as he always was - he asked questions here and there, curious about things from a different perspective. Gavin found the background chatter nice when he was designing, and it was always a delight to join in when the four of them seemed to have such good chemistry.

Meg and Lindsay found out quickly that Ryan wasn’t exactly human. After introductions and a couple days to make sure they fit in comfortably here, it wasn’t uncommon to find them talking. Gavin was often distracted enough with his work that he didn’t notice that they dropped the current conversation whenever he approached.

It didn’t really settle in until Gavin came home one evening, supplies in a backpack over his shoulder. The house seemed quiet - he couldn’t hear any humming machinery from the basement, which meant that Meg and Lindsay had probably gone home. As Gavin cocked his head and shut the front door, the scent of warm cooking reached him, making him breathe deeper. 

“Ryan?” he called. 

There was a clatter from the kitchen, followed up by a soft, muffled yelp. “Uh, in here!”

Gavin set his backpack by the stairs; he’d take the new supplies down to the lab later, there wasn’t anything that required special treatment. He shrugged off his coat and toed off his shoes, and then made his way through to the kitchen, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Ryan sent him a guilty little look from the stove. He was standing partially in front of a couple of plates on the counter, but Gavin peeked under his arm and saw the swirl of spaghetti on the plate. Ryan must have been finishing off the sauce for the last touch. Admittedly, it did smell amazing, and Gavin’s stomach growled almost immediately.

It wasn’t that unusual to see Ryan making food. He needed it to keep running, after all, much like humans did, and he often hung around while Gavin cooked. Ryan liked getting his hands dirty, both literally and figuratively.

Ryan  _ starting  _ it, though, and looking a little flustered…

That was different.

It was then that Gavin followed his gaze to the little table against the wall. There was a candle in the centre, currently unlit, and two places marked out by cutlery on either side. Glasses of water were waiting too.

Gavin frowned, confused. “What’re you doing?”

When he met Ryan’s eyes again, he was blushing. “Have a seat, Gav.”

Slowly, he did so, his hands in his lap. Gavin stayed quiet as Ryan spooned the sauce onto their dinner and finally served it, and it was only when Ryan sat down across from him that he prompted him again. “So?”

Ryan didn’t respond right away. Instead, he occupied himself with lighting the candle between them, and Gavin noticed he was avoiding his gaze as he did. Once the candle was lit, the flame flickering and casting dancing shadows across the walls, Ryan looked up again, seeming sheepish. “I… was talking to Meg and Lindsay about, uh, certain things. They said that a good way to get your attention in a… more romantic way, maybe, would be to make dinner and set the scene so you’d get the hint.”

Gavin blinked at him, too surprised to respond at first. 

Sure, he’d harboured his own affection for Ryan, but he hadn’t thought that it was actually  _ mutual, _ even though that had been one of the more selfish goals in mind for his creation. Gavin specifically  _ hadn’t _ pursued Ryan because he’d realised the poor taste of his actions after Ryan was already up and around. He’d never really considered that Ryan might be the one to make the first move.

In lieu of replying, Gavin reached for his water, greedily gulping down a few sips to soothe his suddenly dry throat. As he set it down and the shock started to wear off, quiet joy began to creep in.

“I… didn’t know you felt that way,” Gavin said, biting the inside of his cheek. 

Ryan rubbed at the back of his neck. The poor guy looked a little awkward and out of his depth, but Gavin knew him well enough by now to pick up on his little tells; he kept shooting quick, hopeful glances across the table at him. “I didn’t know how to express it,” he admitted, “not properly. And I didn’t think being blunt would be very welcoming.”

“Well… it  _ is _ welcome,” Gavin admitted, smiling warmly at Ryan. 

It was Ryan’s turn to stare in disbelief. “It is?”

_ “Yes, _ you dope.” Gavin bumped his foot against Ryan’s under the table, chuckling. “Course I bloody like you.” 

He couldn’t help a dumb grin from spreading across his face, though it stopped in its tracks a moment later - there was something he wanted to clarify first. Ryan’s shoulders had slumped with relief and he’d picked up his cutlery to begin eating, but Gavin reached over to still his hand for a second. “Wait.”

Ryan looked up again, worry creeping back onto his features. “What is it?”

“I just-” Gavin hesitated, unsure how to phrase it, and then forced himself on. “Saying that, doing all this - it’s because you want to, yeah? You really feel this way?”

A soft  _ “oh” _ slipped out between Ryan’s lips. He turned his hand over in Gavin’s to lace their fingers together, and Gavin felt the tension in his body draining away as Ryan smiled at him. “Gavin,” he said, “I promise you, there is nothing  _ making  _ me do this.”

Gavin nodded as he relaxed back into his seat again, comfortably reassured - but he didn’t let go of Ryan’s hand. “I believe you.”

* * *

The next morning, Lindsay sidled up to him in the lab, grinning. “So,” she said, raising her eyebrows. “How did last night go, huh?”

Gavin felt heat creeping across his cheeks instantly. After a good talk and their dinner, he and Ryan had been pretty inseparable for the evening. It was a little surprising to realise how cuddly Ryan could be when given the chance, and even better to notice how comfortable he was to curl up with. It was almost too easy to while away the time just being around Ryan.

He knew they’d been a little touchier in the lab today already, too. It was no surprise that the other two had picked up on it, all things considered; that, and Meg was over with Ryan right now, the two of them chatting away. Gavin wouldn’t be surprised if they were having a similar conversation.

“Last night was great,” Gavin admitted, unable to stop himself from smiling. “You two put him up to making dinner, didn’t you?”

“Dinner? No, we just told him to make a move already.” Lindsay grinned, and she gently bumped Gavin with her elbow. “Sounds like you’re one lucky guy already, Gav.”

Across the room, Ryan caught his eye and smiled. Gavin flushed and averted his gaze, only to end up on the still smug Lindsay. She looked a little too pleased with herself, but Gavin knew he was only giving her more fuel to tease with at this point. 

“Yeah,” Gavin agreed. “He is.”

The waggle of Lindsay’s eyebrows caught his attention, drawing him out of his thoughts, though he quickly wished he’d stayed there. “So, what’s he like in the bedroom, huh?”

_ “Lindsay!” _

Her laughter and the commotion caught the others’ attention, and Gavin was admittedly quietly delighted to see that there was a pink tinge on Ryan’s cheeks. At least if he was embarrassed, he knew that he could drag Ryan down with him - and he would willingly do so, too. 

As they all dispersed to get back to working, though, Ryan casually dropped a kiss on Gavin’s cheek on the way, and he ended up flustered all over again.


End file.
